In the stillness of the night, Jai Veer opened his eyes, the faint hum of Jiva Shakti coursing through his body. His wounds from the entrance test had nearly healed, and his energy felt restored. "Looks like I'm almost back to full strength," he murmured to himself, standing up and stepping out of the medical tent.
The Aaroha Academy camps were quiet, bathed in the soft glow of stars and a crescent moon.
"Sigh, the sky looks amazing tonight," Jai Veer said under his breath, a small smile tugging at his lips as he wandered beneath the twinkling expanse.
His gaze caught a lone figure standing in the distance, and curiosity pulled him forward. As he drew closer, the figure turned, revealing Vice Principal Shekhar Singh. Jai Veer's eyes widened slightly.
"Ah! Vice Principal, sir!" He said, surprised to see him out so late.
"Jai Veer," Shekhar Singh greeted with a warm smile, patting his shoulder. "Congratulations, kid, on winning the entrance test. I expected you'd pull through, and you proved me right."
"Thank you, sir," Jai Veer replied, scratching the back of his head. "But honestly, I only won because of that Tristar Pill. Without it, Anmol would've crushed me."
Shekhar Singh shook his head. "Don't feel guilty, lad. I heard about the match, and you did nothing wrong. You used what you had to join Aaroha Academy and grow stronger. In time, you won't need pills to tip the scales in your favor. Keep your focus on the path ahead." Jai Veer's chest lightened, the vice principal's words lifting a quiet burden.
"Thanks for that, sir," he said earnestly.
Shekhar Singh's eyes glinted with curiosity. "I'm a bit intrigued, though. How did you get your hands on a Tristar Pill?"
"When I activated my core, my parents gave me a few things for dangerous situations," Jai Veer answered carefully, his voice steady but guarded.
"May I know your parents' names?" Shekhar Singh pressed gently. Jai Veer hesitated, then shook his head.
"Sorry, sir, I'd rather keep that private for now."
"Fair enough," the vice principal said with a nod, respecting his choice. "How are you feeling, then? Ready for the hunting mission tomorrow?"
Jai Veer's eyes sparked with determination. "I'm feeling good, sir, and I'm ready to grow stronger during these three months in the forest."
"That's the spirit," Shekhar Singh said, his smile widening. "Now, head back to your tent and get some rest. You'll need it for what's coming."
"Yes, sir," Jai Veer replied, turning toward the camp. As he walked away, he glanced back to see the vice principal vanish in a blink, leaving only the rustle of leaves behind.
Jai Veer is in camp trying to sleep, but his heart is aching because he misses his parents very much. He wants to talk to his parents, share what has happened these days, and know how they are. Thinking like this, Jai Veer slowly falls asleep.
The stars faded as dawn crept over the horizon, painting the camp in soft gold. Jai Veer stirred in his tent, blinking awake to find Anvi sitting nearby, her head resting on a small table, arms folded, gazing at him with a playful smirk.
"Hey! What are you staring at?" Jai Veer blurted, bolting upright, his cheeks flushing.
"What? I'm not staring!" Anvi shot back, turning her head away quickly. "I came to drag you to the announcement area, but you were still snoring when I got here. There was time to kill, so I didn't wake you."
Jai Veer rubbed his eyes, chuckling. "Okay, okay, but I am pretty sure I don't snore, and I was just thrown off seeing you first thing. You said the vice principal sent you, right?"
"Yeah, I ran into him at dawn," Anvi said, standing up. "Now that you're awake, let's go. The briefing is starting soon."
"Alright, lead the way," Jai Veer said, making himself look fresh with magical energy and following her out.
The announcement area buzzed with energy. All sixty students stood in two groups, facing a line of teachers near the forest's edge.
A teacher, Vicky Rae, stepped forward, his voice carrying over the crowd. "Based on yesterday's matches, you've been split into two groups," Vicky Rae began. "The winners will head into the forest for three months of hunting to increase your cultivation and experience. The rest will return to the academy for strict training and extra classes. Second group, head to your tents, grab your gear, and prepare for the Saubha Aircraft. It'll arrive in a few hours, and the second group will go back with most of the teachers, leaving behind only 16 teachers."
The losing students shuffled toward their tents, some grumbling, as many teachers followed.
Vicky Rae turned to the remaining group. "Now, for you sixty students, here are the rules for this three-month hunting journey. You'll form fifteen groups of four. You'll earn points individually—two for Grade-1 beasts and five for Grade-2. At the end of three months, the team with the highest points gets a day in the academy's Elite Library, and the top individual scorer, from any group, earns a new technique. And every group will be monitored by a teacher secretly to avoid extreme life-threatening situations, clear?"
"Yes, sir," all students said in a loud voice.
"Go prepare and be back here in thirty minutes. We head into the forest then." Vicky Rae, the supervisor teacher next to the vice principal, ended his announcement.
Anvi started toward her tent, Jai Veer trailing behind. She stopped abruptly, folding her arms and fixing him with a stare. "Jai, why are you following me to my tent?"
Jai Veer jumped, caught off guard. "Oh! Uh, I don't have much to prepare since I just got here yesterday," he said, scratching his head. "But I've got a question I'm dying to ask."
Anvi raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
"What's this Saubha Aircraft?" Jai Veer asked, his voice brimming with curiosity.
Anvi grinned. "Oh, that? It's a magical flying fortress that moves freely in any direction, and very fast. It's got attack and defense capabilities and can run on auto mode or with cultivators—one or more, depending on the scale of use. The one coming is a tier-3 model, used by smaller branches of Aaroha Academy for training trips like this. It holds up to five hundred people and is commanded by two trained cultivators for that aircraft. That's the gist of it."
She paused as they reached her tent. "Anything you need while I'm grabbing my stuff?"
Jai Veer, still marveling at her description, barely registered her question. His mind was lost in visions of the Saubha Aircraft soaring through the skies. Anvi noticed his daze and stomped lightly on his foot, snapping him back.
"Hey! Do you need anything?" she repeated, smirking.
Jai Veer blinked, then leaned close to her ear, whispering something. Anvi's eyes widened.
"Seriously? That's all you want?"
"Yup, that's it," Jai Veer said with a nod, pointing to a nearby tree. "I'll wait over there."
"Fine, give me five minutes," Anvi said, ducking into her tent.
Jai Veer settled under the tree, his thoughts drifting back to the Saubha Aircraft.
"I forgot to ask about its origin or who created it," he mused. "Maybe Anvi doesn't know, since she didn't mention it. Still, I wonder who built something that incredible." He smiled softly, the forest's edge looming ahead, promising challenges and growth.